Mechanism for cutting ice into blocks.



H. n. FRAU. IVIECHANlSM FOR CUTTING ICE INTO BLOCKS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

o HUM APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. 19l5.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

F r. MMM Nm... .Nm Munn Illll |lfm-ll III. irl IUHI IIIHN u .Q @MN .fm r1 .N5 IM l r f 1H JW H. n. PRATT. MECHANISIVI FOR CUTTING ICE INTO BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. T915.

. Patented Feb. 26, HITS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mamas;

in errar ra omen HOWELL n. rzanfrnfor rmtannrrnrn, rnnnsvLvam-a, assrenon To LINK-nner COMPANY, or' cncncfo, ILLINOIS, n conronarron or rnninors.

ivrncnnnisivi rcncurrinc ron Inmo encens.

To allfwlwmtt may concer-n.2

Be it known that. l, HOWELL. D.JPRATT, a citizen of the. United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain lmprovements in Mechanism` for Cutting lceinto Blocks, of which. the following is a specification.

One object of Vmy invention isfto improve the construction of the mechanism for cutting; large blocks of ice into smaller blocks or cakessuitable for storage in icehouses or for transportation. v

Another objectof the invention isto conf struct a machine in whichthe saw frames travel over the blocks of ice while thev ice is stationary.

A still further object of the invention is tot provide a machine in which one saw frameh will` travel` longitudinally in respect to a bloclr ofice, while the other saw frame will, travel transversely, cutting longitudinal: andtransverse kerfs inthe ice.

Anotherobject-.of the `invention is to provide. means attached toV one of the .saw frames for shifting the blocks of ice into and out of posit-ion.` to be cut..

Y These objects and other advantageous ends l secure in the following manner,` reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which.: 4

Figure 1. is a: planiview of my improved ice cutting machine;

Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional viewk on the line (L -a, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line Zap-, Fig.v 1.;

. Vlligrl is asectionaliview on the line @Lf-0, Fig. 1;

Fig; 5 is a detached sideview of a block of ice, showing the upper guide rail;

ldig.v 6 isaan.` enlargedsectional view ofi a portion ofA the upper guido rail, showing one of the detent dogs;y

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a :modification of the invention;`

`Fig. 8 is a longitudinalsectional view` on the lineV cls-fd, Fig. 7 and.v i

Fig. 9 isan enlarged view of a' portion of: Fig.y 8. v Y

Referring iin the first. instance to: Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive,-13 l1l are the-.frames or walls .which are spaced apart to formiachannel 2.

This;- ohannel communicates with a pond, lake', or river, at one endl andis arranged to receive the' floating blocks of, ice and `may Specification of Letters Patent.

be connected, as in Fig. 7, with a narrow channel 3 through whichthe small. blocks of icetravel to the storagehouse or transportation plat-form. lviounted on the frame l are longitudinal stringers 4 on which are the longitudinal rails 5 and extending across the channel from one frame to the other are transverse stringere 6 on which are the rails 7.` Mounted on the longitudinalrails 5 is a saw carriage 8 made of longitudinal I-vbeams 9 connected together at intervals by brackets 10, which carry the saw Ashaft 11. On this shaftis a series of circular saws 12. These saws are preferably adjustable on the shaft and can` be spaced any distance desired, according to the size of the blocks to be cut. rlhe shaft 11 is driven,in the present instance, from a motor 13.

141, lt are two longitudinal arles adapted to suitable bearings in the frame` 8 and on each end; of. these axles are grooved wheels 15,` which travel on the rails 5. ln the present instance, one or both of these axles is driven fromthe motor 13 through the saw shaftvll. @n the saw shaft isa sprocket wheel 16 around which passes a' chain Nite.

`a sprocket wheel 1S on ashaft 19 and 'this latented heb. 26, 19in.

.Application ledicctoh'er 5, 1915. Serial No..54,232. I i

shaft, inturn, is geared to a shaft 20 and y both shafts have friction wheels bearing against the friction wheel 21 Von Va shaft 22, which drives one ofthe axlesleltlirough the chain. 23, as clearly shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4.-. A clutch 24- on the shaft 1'9`is co`ntrolled by a hand lever 25 so that either one of the friction wheels 18 or 2() can be driven tetra-verse the longitudinally movable saw frame in either direction over the rails 5 and onV the forward `movement ofthe saw frame a series. of longitudinal. kerfs "is cut by the saws in each block ofy ice a2 located in the path of the saws. Projecting f'orf wardly from the frame 8 are arms 2Gwhich carry hooks 27 at their outer ends'andthese hooks travel over the face of the ice and engage Vthe rear edge of each block m and when the carriage returns it carries a block of ice with it to the cutting position, the sawshaving partially entered theblock of iceon the forward movement and'these saws,

` in the form of inverted channels, as shown 'ing away from the saws. I provide detent in Figs. 3 and 4, and the rails are of a sufficient weight to cause the edges of the channel to cut into'the block of ice sufhciently that ywhen the block is subjected to the action of the saws it will be held rigidly in order to prevent jamming of the saws or uneven cutting.v rIhe rails are turned up at their forward endsV so that a block of ice will"travel gradually under the rails.

In order to prevent Ythe blocks of ice backdogs `32, which are pivoted to the rails at 33 and as the rails. 1n the present instance,

Y, are channel shaped/I locate the dogs in the channel and provide a stop 34 to' limit the downward movement of the points of the Y dogs. These points are preferably sharp so verse saws, preferably overlapping the block that they will engage the ice, should it have a tendency to back away from the saws.

` The rails 29 are discontinued at the transsufficiently to hold it temporarily in alinement.k

n The block, as it moves inthe path of the transverse saws, passes Vover a frame 35 pivoted at 36` to a beam secured to the walls of therchannel and'this frame has spikes, or other projections, 37 and 38 at each end so as to engagethe ice and hold it in position whilethe saws are moving transverselyv over the blocks and are cutting the transverse kerfs therein. The frame 35 acts as a brake since it holds the ice from lfloating past a Ypredetermined point. The saw frame 39 for cutting the transverse kerfs in the blocks of ice is identical with the saw frame 8, includ- Vingthe mechanism for driving the shaft 11a,

Y the motor 13@1 and saws 12a, as well as 'the mechanism for transmitting motion from one saw shaft to one of the axles 14a andy therefore, need not bev further described in Y detail.

It will be seen from the above construction l that blocksof ice cut from fields in any desired shape can be directed to the channel,

either by a frame projecting into the lake or river or formed von the bank of the lake or river, and after the blocks enter the channel,

and are brought to a fixed position, the longitudinally moving saw frame is reciprocated or is moved forward and will cut a series of kerfs in the ice. rIhe movement of the saw, frame Yis continued and the saws will cut a partial series of kerfs in the succeeding block Y'and when the saws reach a given point the hooks 27 on the arms 26 drop back of the block of ice and on the return movement of the saw frame 8 the succeeding block will be moved forward into the cutting position and will push the block previously cut into position to be cut by the transverse saws. The brake frame 35 will hold the block in the proper position, while the saw frame 39 passes transversely over the surface of the block cutting the transverse kerfs therein and on the return of this transverse cutting` frame the block is free and is pushed out of the path of the saws by the following block, after which the individual blocks can be separated in any suit able manner and conveyed to the storage house or other point of distribution.

It will be understood that the saws can cut the kerfs to any depth desired and, in most instances, the saws do not cut entirely through the block but leave sufficient ice to allow the entire block to be conveyed as a unit so that it can be broken either by hand or by any suitable mechanism at any desired point.

In Figsl 7, 8 and 9, I have illustrated a modification of the invention in which the .rails for guiding the blocks of ice are lo cated under the surface of the water. 29Ct are the rails supported on a suitable framework and the rails, in this case, extend a sufiicient distance so as to support an incoming block of ice, as well as the two blocks being cut, and, in this instance, the blocks of ice are spaced a given distance apart and a pusher 40, shaped as shown in F ig. 5, engages the block of ice after the longitudinal kerfs have been cut therein and pushes the block of ice, on the return movement of the saw carriage, in position to be cut by the transverse saws. In this instance, the rails support the block of ice so as to prevent any yielding of the block during the cutting operation.

I claim:

1. 'I he combination of a channel to receive blocks of ice t0 be cut, longitudinal guides, a saw frame mounted on the guides and spanning the channel, a series of circular saws mounted on the frame and arranged to cut kerfs in the block of ice, means for holding theblock of ice during the cutting operation, and means connected with the saw frame for engaging a succeeding block of ice and moving it into position to be cut as the saw frame returns to its first position.

2. The combination with mechanism for cutting ice, of a channel, two sawing mechanisms, each consisting of a frame having a series of circular saws thereon, means for driving the saws, longitudinal guides for one frame and transverse guides for the other frame located back of said first mentioned frame, means for traversing the frames on their respective guides, and means on the frame mounted on the longitudinal guides for engaging a block of ice and moving into cutting position under said frame, means for holding the ice in posit-ion, the two sawing mechanisms being so located thatthe block of ice having the longitudinal kerfs cut' d for driving the saws; arms on the frame having hooks arranged to engage a block of ice, the hooks being of such a length that they will engage the block of ice succeeding the one being cut after the saws have penetrated said block a given distance .so that, on the return movement of the saw frame, the said block of ice will be moved into the Maples attain patent at he attained tot cutting position and will be guided by the saws and hooks.

4. The combination in mechanism lfor cutting ice, of a channel; longitudinal guides and transverse guides; a saw frame mountedY onv the longitudinal guides and a saw frame mounted on the transverse; guides; means for driving each of said saw frames; means tor guiding the blocks of ice as they move p into position to be cut; and a pivoted brake located under the surface of the water and arranged to engage a block vof ice as it moves `into position to be cut by the transverse saws. j

5. The combination in mechanism for cutting ice into blocks, of means for cutting kerfs in thev ice both longitudinally and transversely; guide rails for directing the blocks of ice into the cutting position; a pivoted brake having'spikes at each end arranged to engage the block of ice and to hold it while it is being cut by the transverse saws.

HVVELL D.- PRATT.

five 'centri each, Tuy adreaalmm the "ommssioner et Entente, Washington, D. C. 

